PAGE SIX
EDITORIAL
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1940.
The Kansan Comments -- EDITORIALS ★ LETTERS ★ PATTER
"Happy Days" are here again. It's H. L. Mencken's latest work, a partial autobiography telling of the boyhood of the Baltimore bully, who prudently closes the tale at the end of his twelfth year.
Mencken Retrospects: Child Fathers Man
The former editor of the American Mercury gives his reader opportunity to suspect that no disaster, cataclysm of nature, or act of God that took place in Baltimore, Maryland, ever surpassed the importance of the event that took place there Sept. 12, 1880—Mencken's birth.
These were not the least of the anti-social activities of the boy described by a critic as the Tom Sawyer of Baltimore. The elder Mencken was owner of a cigar factory. This barflighty parent took Henry with him on his frequent trips to Washington. Sipping sarsaparilla while his father ardently tilted the pail, the literary critic-to-be "learned America from the brass rail up."
That day marked the beginning of twelve years of the reign of one of the most detestable infants ever inflicted upon mankind, and upon the police, trainmen, and Negroes of Baltimore in particular. Mencken's book describes himself as a chubby tot with "scow-like beam and noticeable jowls" who learned to play the piano and use big words, to "razz" the cops, steal fruit, lie blandly, string up cats by the hind legs, and drop "offensive objects" on trainmen as they passed under grade crossings.
But while "Happy Days" lends mortal support to the Freudian theory that all little boys are natural roughnecks, (and Mencken one of the first water), the book leaves little doubt that the present peer of American illuminati was innately a sweet and cherubic youth who profited greatly from the homespun teachings of his
Students Alone Are Responsible
The adoption of a preparatory class in English for those planning to take the English proficiency examination in the spring offers opportunity for students to prepare themselves adequately for the coming examinations.
Why not take advantage of the preparatory class in English?
Ability to speak, read, and write one's native language is not too much to ask of a college graduate. But if a college student can not do all three, he should at least do everything in his power to develop in himself the ability to write clearly and fluently.
Each student who plans to graduate must pass the proficiency exam. Approximately 78 per cent of the students who enrolled for the exams last year passed them. While such a low per cent is a disgrace, it is also a hardship when one considers that those who fail must spend junior-senior hours repeating a freshman course in English, unless private study will enable them to improve sufficiently to pass the examination on the second try.
"There are no methods which will succeed in teaching everyone to spell correctly and to think straight. They are means to an end, and come to life, if at all, only because of the energy which they generate in teacher and student," says Professor T. Baird in The Amherst Graduates' Quarterly.
Teutonic forbears. Mencken refers to himself as "a larva of the comfortable and complacent bourgeosie."
The Baltimore of the 80's is the setting of the author's memoir—a Baltimore that represented an ebullient era in American life. Only Mencken could picture the Baltimore of that time, when life was full and free, when summer meant typhoid and autumn meant malaria, the Baltimore of noisy industry, ever growing, ever smelly, and ever magnificent. Picturesque and poignant, romantic and roisterous, sympathetic and satisfying, Mencken limns Baltimore as the backdrop for the "evolution of the bourgeois larva into the potential Mencken."
"Happy Days," lucidly written picture of a dead era and its product, need fear no Quiller-Couch. The "lusty and gusty" Mr. Mencken "has no other desire than to prove . . . that the child is still the father of the man."
★ ★ ★
By Proxy
Since the first day of September, we have been intrigued by watching an unusual phenomenon—the sprouting of innumerable organizations designed to crystallize student opinion into action. . . If we seem to be impatient with these upstart peace groups, it is not because our ideas... are so different from theirs..
When we are asked within a week to unite with the American Student Union, the Union of Collegiate Newspapers for American Peace, the front for Peace, the Youth Committee Against War, and the Committee on Mobilization, we begin to wonder if some individual or group sponsor is not interested most of all in personal notoriety...
We agree with almost all the ultimate aims of programs that have been presented by these organizations. We should like, however, to see some semblance of sanity in their hastily mailed pleas for membership.
Student opinion will make itself known without the use of a megaphone. It may now be time for students to act, but unless we miss our guess, almost all of these indigenous peace groups will wither as quickly as they have bloomed, and long before they have accomplished their stated purposes.The Daily Iowan.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Official Student Paper of
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Lawrence, Kansas
Publisher ... Walt Meininger
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-Chief ... Richard Boyce
Associate Editor ... Loretta Diggs
Assistant Editors  Gerald Banker and Helen Markwell
Gary Bertz  Genevieve Bertz
Assistant Feature Editor  Hal Ruperthelm
NEWS STAFF
Managing Editor ... Jim Bell
Campus Editors ... Reggie Buxton and Roscoe Born
News Editor ... Gina Grant
Society Editor ... Virginia Grove
Sports Editor ... Jay Simon
Sunday Editor ... Clovelie Holden
Make Up Editors ... Marilou Randall and Huck Wright
Picture Editor ... Red Burton
Rewrite Editor ... Joy Vatan
Rewrite Editor ... George Sitterly
Business Manager ... Edwin Browne
Advertising Manager ... Rex Cowan
Subscription rates, in advance, $3.00 per year, $1.75 per semester. Published at Lawrence, Kansas, daily during the school year; entered as second class matter September 17, 1910, at the post office at Lawrence, Kansas, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Dawn Patrols--brother Daryl has qualified for the government's new advanced training course.
Over Campus in Air Go Flight Training Pilots
By Ruth Spencer, c'41
Campus coeds and fellows, "private flyers of tomorrow", soar regularly over Mt. Oread in little Aerona 65', now that more than 40 students, exclusive of the government's civilian trained flyers, are taking private flight instruction.
After Helen Hay and Alys Magill, c'40, made their debut last fall as would-be aviatrices, enthusiastic followers with a potential love for aviation appeared.
Stacking up hours of flight training is great sport for University women. Their increased interest in aviation has encouraged Helen Hay, c'40, to plan the organization of a Hill chapter of Women's National Aeronautical Association, which she hopes to get into full swing this semester.
Betty Wyatt, c'42, soon made her first solo. Nadine Bitter, c'41, and Elizabeth White, c'42, the "K.U. early-bird flyers" cruise over the Hill regularly at daybreak. Priscilla Adams, c'43, and Barbara Daniels, c'41, have made several flights under pilot instruction.
Flying photographer Herbert Anderson, e'41, teamed with Ernest Wilkey, e'40, private licensed pilot, to take moving pictures of his alma mater. Raymond Wagner, e'40, will soon receive his private license. His
Dale Goodrick, gr.; Robert Hoisington, c'43; Karl Shawver, c'41; Stanley McLead, c'43; and Wayne Whelan, b'41, have been regular attendants at the Ashcraft flying field. Everett Allison, fs. will receive his flight instructor's rating in the near future.
Just how quickly private flying will advance remains a question.
These University private flyers have ideal surrounding country in which to train. The region not, only is situated in the center area of the United States, but also it offers numerous emergency fields in case of forced landings. Away from large industrial plants, it is free from congested air-traffic.
Instructors of the Civil Aeronautical Authority available at the Ashcraft Brothers' flying field, serve as reliable training supervisors. The level field runways are desirable and essential for satisfactory air-travel. Safe emergency landing can be made from any direction.
All that holds most lovers of sky flying on the ground is lack of time for perfecting the art of efficient aviation. When this obstacle is overcome, the "folk at home" perhaps will equip their sons and daughters with airplanes as well as text books.
Vol. 37
University of Kansas Official Bulletin
Sunday, Feb. 18, 1940
NOTICE
Organizations desiring to publish announcement of their activities in the Official Bulletin are advised that beginning Monday, Feb. 19, all such announcements must be left in the office of the Cancellor by 4 o'clock in the afternoon, for publication in the Kansan the following day.
No announcements will be included in the bulletin if received after that time.
ALPHA PHI OMEGA: The National Service Fraternity will have an important business meeting at 4:30 Monday afternoon in the Pine Room of the Union Building. All members will please be present—Kenneth Cedarland, president.
ATTENTION: All cases to appear before the Student Court should first be appealed to the Clerk of the Court, Bob McKay, telephone 2903—Gene Buchanan, chief justice.
CAMERA CLUB: The K.U. Camera Club will meet Tuesday evening at 7:45 in the ballroom of the Memorial Union building. Fred Patrick will discuss the making of color prints and several groups of Kodachrome slides will be shown. Everyone interested in photography is invited to come and those who have Kodachrome slides are invited to bring them—Russell H. Barrett, treasurer.
No. 93
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE ORGANIZATION: The regular weekly meeting, open to students, graduates and faculty members, will be held Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 in Room C Myers hall.-Jack Dalby, secretary.
EL ATENEO: There will be a meeting of El Ateneo on Tuesday, February 20, at 3:30 in Room 113 Frank Strong hall. All members and anyone who is eligible for the club is invited.-Louise Bush, president.
EMPLOYMENT FOR WOMEN STUDENTS: Will those who wish to be called about opportunities for employment during the semester please file schedules within the next week. There are openings available to women students who wish maintenance jobs; i.e. work for room and board, or work for meals.-Marie Miller, Women's Employment Bureau, 220 Frank Strong hall.
FALL SEMESTER GRADES:
Grades for the fall semester may be obtained from the Registrar's office this week, according to the following schedule of names:
Monday—A to G inclusive.
Tuesday—H to M inclusive.
Wednesday—N to S inclusive.
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